1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to portable recording apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to portable apparatus for recording characteristics of electrical load current, operating duration, and load voltage if desired, as they occur in either direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) circuits, preferably electric arc welding circuits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In production shops having electric arc welding facilities, welding operators generally receive an incentive pay based on, among other factors, the size and quantity of welding rods deposited on a workpiece and the operating duration related to such tasks. There are known relationships between welding rod size and load current drawn, and quantity of rods used and operating duration.
Supervisory personnel monitor a welding operator's performance by observing the quality of his weldments to determine if the proper load current, and at times load voltage, has been used for a given welding task. Supervisors also tally the welding operator's welding time which, in some prior art installations, is accumulated on electrically-driven time registers. Each register acts automatically in response to the welding load current and/or load voltage fed from a shop welding power source. The registers themselves are powered from another conventional plant source. Therefore, with the supervisor in effect observing load current and tallying welding duration, there is little questionable basis for determining the welding operator's incentive pay.
However, welding operators are frequently called upon to perform field welding tasks at a variety of plant sites. Generally, there is no production shop welding or timing power sources, a time register, or a welding shop supervisor available at these sites. Consequently, a welding operator is dispatched to the field site with a portable welding machine and instructed to tally the size and quantity of welding rod used as well as the operating duration of his welding tasks. A problem arises concerning the exact amount of incentive pay to be made because some welding operators file a questionable tally with supervisory personnel. Another problem arises when, on occasion a portable welding machine is equipped with a welding time register, the welding operator may short circuit the machine output for a period of time to simulate welding time on the time register, and therefore enhance his incentive pay, without performing any acts of welding. This is a questionable practice that has far greater consequences than in just erroneously determining incentive pay for the welding operator.